Category Archives: Gadgets and Tech

Western Digital 4TB BLACK Performance SATA Hard Drive WD 6 Gbs 64mb WD4001FAEX 4 TB

NEW sealed Western Digital 4TB BLACK Performance SATA Hard Drive WD 6 Gbs 64MB cache 7,200RPM WD4001FAEX 4 TB   Warranty: Still sealed in original anti-static wrapping, Western Digital factory warranty though Jan 3rd 2018. (see 2nd auction photo for screenshot of the serial number warranty lookup for the drive you are bidding on)   Description: These are some of the best 7,200RPM SATA hard drives out there IMHO. The 64MB cache is nice and the drives perform consistently well, while

HDCP stripper – HOWTO remove HDCP from HDMI signal

I recently encountered an issue where my DirecTV HDMI output was unusable on my new LCD. Thankfully, the following HDMI HDCP stripper allowed me to watch on my monitor 🙂 NOTE: The best price I could find was $19.95 on Amazon with free shipping and if you need the extra HDMI cable, they have them for ~$5.49. The process is very simple: Connect power to the HDCP stripper Connect first HDMI cable from DirecTV receiver to “HDMI INPUT” on the stripper Connect second HDMI

White USB-C cables ($6.99)

After upgrading from a Samsung S6 to a Nexus 6P, one of the few changes needed was new USB-C cables! Thankfully, Amazon has a nice assortment. I especially like the white USB-C cables here: They are usually available for around $6.99 and they allow easy connection to USB-A (“regular” USB) devices like most existing PCs, Macs and laptops. After purchasing a two pack, I’m a happy camper 🙂

AMD Radeon R9 M375 2GB, with DDR5 and specs

Some exciting news about the Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 14″ laptop, its GPU uses DDR5 memory. Woot! NOTE: For best performance I highly recommend upgrading the standard HDD to a SSD. You can find complete steps here: Lenovo IdeaPad Y700-14 SSD Upgrade Here is the DDR5 GPU memory screenshot: My specific Lenovo Y700-14 model: PS thanks to commenter Fee for asking the great question whether it utilized GDDR3 or GDDR5 🙂 PSS as the specs show, I have the 2GB version

Lenovo X220 (X230, X240) disassembly & SSD upgrade guide

Please find below photos showing Lenovo ThinkPad X220 disassembly and mSATA SSD upgrade. WiFi is also easily upgradeable (make sure to get whitelisted card or modified BIOS) Lastly, 2.5″ SSD is upgradeable without even opening up the case 😉 NOTE: I recommend the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD for the mSATA SSD. This drive costs < $90 at Amazon with free shipping. For the 2.5″ drive I recommend a larger SSD like the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB which is roughly $160 on Amazon.

Yoga 2 Pro SSD Upgrade [HOWTO]

Please see photos below, with these simple steps you can upgrade to a faster and higher-capacity mSATA drive. NOTE: I used a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD for the upgrade. This drive costs < $90 at Amazon with free shipping. Performance has been exceptional and the 500GB and 1TB drives also work well with the Yoga 2 Pro. 🙂 TIP: Click any photo for a larger view.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 14″ SSD & RAM upgrade [photos]

NEW UPDATE: all photos are now posted at the bottom of the page! My top upgrade recommendation for the Y700 is up the Samsung 850 EVO M.2 SSD. The upgrade is easy and the performance is EXCELLENT 🙂 Notes: -There are no screws under the rubber feet, do not take them off 🙂 +RAM is Samsung M471A1G43DB0-CPB 8GB PC4-17000R DDR3-2133 2Rx8 SODIMM Laptop Memory -m.2 slot does not come with a screw for securing a new m.2 SSD +Once bottom cover is off, HDD